x-fi spdif passthrough to video card *Resolved*

Brandito · § #1 10-05-2008, 02:34 PM

how do i connect a 2 pin spdif out to this card? there's no standard connector like i have on my old audigy2, but there's a row of pins underneath the card that are labeled spdif.

i'd like to connect it to a gtx 280 when it arrives, i have a 2pin spdif cable already.

edit: resolved below

**mmettin** · § #2 10-05-2008, 02:57 PM

are you looking for stereo only or the full 5.1 (7.1)

Brandito · § #3 10-05-2008, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmettin

are you looking for stereo only or the full 5.1 (7.1)

it should be a digital connection no?

what will the gtx 280 pass-through support? i could use the flexi-jack, but i need the adapter, not to mention i also use the flexi-jack for my microphone, so i'd constantly be switching back and fourth. not to mention issues i may encounter running both hdmi and digital audio cables from my pc to my tv and/or reciever.

**mmettin** · § #4 10-05-2008, 04:05 PM

The XtremeMusic card has the ability for digital in/out, but you either need the Digital I/O Module which connects to the "Flexijack"or the I/O Drive Upgrade Kit which connects to the internal flat ribbon cable connector on the card.

The xfi uses a 3.5mm mono jack > RCA adapter for coaxial S/PDIF. however it can't output 5.1 over s/pdif, only stereo (unless pre-encoded in a movie)

I don't know what the 280 supports

Brandito · § #5 10-05-2008, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmettin

The XtremeMusic card has the ability for digital in/out, but you either need the Digital I/O Module which connects to the "Flexijack"or the I/O Drive Upgrade Kit which connects to the internal flat ribbon cable connector on the card.

The xfi uses a 3.5mm mono jack > RCA adapter for coaxial S/PDIF. however it can't output 5.1 over s/pdif, only stereo (unless pre-encoded in a movie)

I don't know what the 280 supports

i understand the idea behind not having realtime 5.1, like in games, but i really need an internal connection.

howieh60 · § #6 10-05-2008, 06:36 PM

Both of my MSI N260GTX cards come with SPDIF wire and the onboard connector. I have seen these connected to onboard"MB" connections before. On an 8600GTS card I have I connected my sound cards SPDIF out to my 8600 SPDIF connection because it has an HDMI out as well. It works great with my TV and home theater.

What 280GTX are you getting?, and not knowing what else is part of this system makes it a little difficult to assist. Why the need for an in ternal connection, and to what component?

Brandito · § #7 10-05-2008, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by howieh60

Both of my MSI N260GTX cards come with SPDIF wire and the onboard connector. I have seen these connected to onboard"MB" connections before. On an 8600GTS card I have I connected my sound cards SPDIF out to my 8600 SPDIF connection because it has an HDMI out as well. It works great with my TV and home theater.

What 280GTX are you getting?, and not knowing what else is part of this system makes it a little difficult to assist. Why the need for an in ternal connection, and to what component?

it's evga, but they're all really the same reference design.

i want to connect the spdif out from the x-fi extreme music to the gtx 280 so it will have audio out with the video through an hdmi adapter.

i'm thinking if anyone can find me a pinout for the front panel connector i can get it working, but i have no idea which pins to use on the x-fi.

howieh60 · § #8 10-05-2008, 08:48 PM

Try looking at this link. I had been over this material before but it's been a few years now. I know of one other good source of information. I will post it for you if I am able to find it.

http://www.driverheaven.net/audio-ge...i-pinouts.html

Brandito · § #9 10-05-2008, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by howieh60

Try looking at this link. I had been over this material before but it's been a few years now. I know of one other good source of information. I will post it for you if I am able to find it.

http://www.driverheaven.net/audio-ge...i-pinouts.html

just one question, which is the first pin?

for the front panel connector there's to rows of pins, so do the alternate left to right starting at one?

ok, looking at my card and that picture they seem about the same, so i'm testing it now with my 8800gt.

not sure if the 8800gt will work, it has a couple pins that seem like they'd be for such a thing, but i've never read anything about 8800's supporting the audio passthrough.

i have heard of it working for 8600's.

edit: another question, would i need to switch anything in the drivers to get the passthrough to work? or will it automatically transfer sound over the spdif?

sangram · § #10 10-06-2008, 12:22 AM

Do you have a pic of that row of pins?

The 8800 do support passthrough. IIRC there were restrictions, but they do work.

For the spdif to work, I'm not sure what trickery one needs to do in the Creative drivers. The kx drivers will allow you access to all physical and virtual outputs, and any number of routing combinations.

Your pin combination may be the 6-pin at the bottom of the card. Logic dictates that Pin 1 would be closest to the header or to the top of the card, if they were horizontal or vertical.. You won't harm it by connecting it to the last two NC pins, it just makes any potential troubleshooting difficult - not knowing whether the lack of output is caused by wrong pins or driver settings.

Brandito · § #11 10-07-2008, 06:30 PM

sweet new, got the gtx 280, connect the pass through to the x-fi (used the pinout diagram someone else posted) and BAM sound!

well i did forget that i disabled the tv speakers in the menu, but once i remembered that it was BAM sound!

only sound through the tv though, i only have one digital IN on my home theater in a box, and that's being used by the dtv. i can connect the tv straight to the home theater and still get full 5.1 from the dtv box, but it adds a delay between sound and video and drives me nuts.

i'll just have to invest in a more compitant reciever someday down the road. when i bought this one i needed the upconvert dvd player as well as reciever and speakers, so to save some cash i bought it, in hindsight i might have been better off getting a really good reciever, but then again, i was still on a budget.

**mmettin** · § #12 10-07-2008, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brandito

sweet new, got the gtx 280, connect the pass through to the x-fi (used the pinout diagram someone else posted) and BAM sound!

well i did forget that i disabled the tv speakers in the menu, but once i remembered that it was BAM sound!

only sound through the tv though, i only have one digital IN on my home theater in a box, and that's being used by the dtv. i can connect the tv straight to the home theater and still get full 5.1 from the dtv box, but it adds a delay between sound and video and drives me nuts.

i'll just have to invest in a more compitant reciever someday down the road. when i bought this one i needed the upconvert dvd player as well as reciever and speakers, so to save some cash i bought it, in hindsight i might have been better off getting a really good reciever, but then again, i was still on a budget.

I'd be interested to know does the GTX280 do the full DD passthru over hdmi. And if it does the DD passthru, I may have to rethink the HTPC/Media extender debate I'm having at the moment

Brandito · § #13 10-07-2008, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmettin

I'd be interested to know does the GTX280 do the full DD passthru over hdmi. And if it does the DD passthru, I may have to rethink the HTPC/Media extender debate I'm having at the moment

i'd imagine, i guess i'll have to try a dvd on my pc and rewire the tv to test it.

maybe it's the same as using stereo rca jacks? i'm still very new to wiring up these newfangled home theater systems.

back in the old days you had one kind of cable, coaxial cable, and there was 13 channels on the dial, yes i said dial.

i know i'm young but my first tv really did have a dial, one for VHF and one for UHF.

**mmettin** · § #14 10-07-2008, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brandito

i'd imagine, i guess i'll have to try a dvd on my pc and rewire the tv to test it.

maybe it's the same as using stereo rca jacks? i'm still very new to wiring up these newfangled home theater systems.

back in the old days you had one kind of cable, coaxial cable, and there was 13 channels on the dial, yes i said dial.

i know i'm young but my first tv really did have a dial, one for VHF and one for UHF.

Brandito,

I guess what i want to know is will it pass 5.1 sound thru the hdmi cable.

There might be a doughnut and coffee with your name on it if you could let me know

Brandito · § #15 10-07-2008, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmettin

Brandito,

I guess what i want to know is will it pass 5.1 sound through the hdmi cable.

There might be a doughnut and coffee with your name on it if you could let me know

i knew what you meant, i assume with pre-encoded 5.1 sound like from a dvd it will, not totally sure though.

i believe there are some sound cards that will also do 5.1 in real time, i remember reading something, i think your card needs an additional chip for support. i know my x-fi does not support this ability.

might check it out right now

edit: does not appear to transfer 5.1, only stereo. it's really good sound but not full surround.

tested it with the iron man dvd.

do you think i need to connect the spdif cable from my dvd drive to the sound card? i wouldn't figure i'd need to, haven't used one in ages, figured it was only good for playing cd's directly from the drive.

edit: i can confirm that i get 5.1 from my pc speakers, so it wouldn't seem the cable from the optical drive is needed?

is there possibly some driver setting i'm missing?